Sephiroth's Love
by Tala-chibi
Summary: A take upon Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core- Final Fantasy VII, original character Izumi Ayumu is brought into Midgar to pursue strengthening herself, first through schooling, though it takes a turn. Introduced to SOLDIER, she crosses Sephiroth's path, and the two seem to gravitate towards one another, learning each other's secrets as she moves towards her goal, her deepest secrets.
1. Chapter 1

[This is to be the first chapter to a series of mine that I had started a long time ago on Quizilla, and I am recreating it with better grammar and such, to fit with my current writing style. No, it isn't going to follow the Final Fantasy VII storyline exactly, it will have little flairs here and there by my own touch. There will be characters popping up that shouldn't be at certain times, so be warned, if you dislike what I write, feel free to abstain from reading. I hope that it will not be too abrasive to Final Fantasy lovers such as I, and hope that everyone enjoys my placement of Izumi into the storyline, and hope all enjoy her story.

Disclaimer: None of the FFVII characters are mine sadly, but Izumi and a few select others do!]

Main Character Information

Name: Izumi Ayumu

Age: 19 years old, birth date July 12th  
Appearance:Her clothing would be described as following the Gothic appearance by those that simply do not understand the benefits of dark clothing. Something adapted from her former Masters, she chooses to wear tight fitting black shirts or tank tops, along with snug-fitting black slacks or other pants. She also wears combat boots, a small steel plate over her toes as a protector. She has poor eyesight, though chooses to wear contacts, as glasses can be a weakness in the middle of battle. Her body is slightly muscled, rather toned with her training, lithe and thin but not anywhere near anorexic. She has long hair reaching to her waist, a blood-red tone to it. She also has two different colored eyes; one a bright green, the other a near glowing purple.

Extras: She is often seen with ear buds of her music player in her ears, seeming to not pay attention to things around her, or even in the middle of class. Though when called on, she easily answers the question, leaving many of her instructors dumbfounded. She has been most recently kicked out of a school for such things, even as she insisted that she pays attention, seen as being disrespectful to her teachers. She has hidden potential even beyond what her close friends have seen, and the story of her future and past, begin...

The setting now is of a simple high school classroom, the children laughing and causing quite the distraction, a time for the moment without homework or mental instruction from the teacher. Izumi pokes her head into the room, scanning the room in wariness as the commotion continues. A wad of paper flew by her head, and she wrinkled her nose slightly in disgust, having hoped that she would have gotten into a calmer classroom. History was supposed to be calmer, more focused, wasn't it? The teacher perked up at catching sight of her, smiling warmly before standing, clearing his throat and motioning for the girl to come closer.

"Class, we have a new student! Treat her with respect and-" A small yelp escaped him as a sharp tip of a paper airplane managed to hit just behind his glasses, and he covered the stinging eye, forcing a slight smile to the pale individual at his side. Ignoring the laughter, Izumi stepped forward, head bowing in formal greeting, her eyes slightly narrowed to hide the odd tones to them.

"My name is Izumi Ayumu... I hope we all can be friends." The classroom fell silent for a moment before the activities continued, some waving, intrigued at the new appearance, while others just went about their own business, ignoring her entirely. She sighed to herself, smiling a bit to the instructor, glancing away quickly as the man noticed her eyes, though polite enough to say nothing.

"Go ahead, there is an empty seat next to Cloud over there... He should be least likely to cause trouble." He batted another stray airplane out of the air, taking his seat and tending to grading some tests. Izumi's eyes scanned the room before spotting the one named Cloud, a cheeky grin on his face. Swallowing back some nerves, she wandered over, setting her bag on the top of the desk, and seated herself almost cautiously next to the boy. Blonde, spiked hair, that oddly reminded her of a winged animal, that many rode to get from place to place. She blinked once at him, lips twitching in amusement. She would have to focus hard, to not call him Chocobo instead of Cloud... Her eyes fell to her bag, and she rifled through it, finding her music player, nudging one of the ear pieces in before looking back to Cloud, who was anxiously waiting for the opportunity to greet her.

"The name's Cloud Strife, Izumi! Nice to meet you, and don't worry, you'll get used to this bunch..." He laughed a bit, waving dismissively towards them and earning boo's from the lot, making Izumi chuckle a little to herself. While still cautious around people she didn't know, she could tell that this male was quite gentle, and had a good heart. A bit naïve, but a good heart. Pity that the world used people like him... Izumi blinked once as he offered his hand, an excited little grin flashed to her. Sighing a bit though unable to help from smiling a bit easier herself, she took his hand, shaking it once, a friendly squeeze to the appendage.

"I would hope so, it would be far lonelier if I didn't get used to them..." A shifty glance from the others around Cloud, scanning each face, not seeing any familiar to her. That in itself was a comfort, as odd as it seemed. She never liked big groups, though she would have to start getting used to it, if she wanted to fit into this new, large city. Releasing his hand, she blinked as Cloud took her hand again, turning it over a little.

"What is...?" Izumi jerked her hand back, biting her lower lip and pressing her wrist into her lap, hiding the semi-fading lines marring the insides of her wrists. Her face paled as she felt him staring at her, a worried murmur of her name from him, even as the other students minded their own business. Yes he cared, which was so odd for someone to have just met her, though he seemed to just scream worry wart to her. She couldn't share with him, her secret only a sparse few knew, she couldn't let another hang around, watching her every step. Not like he had, so long ago. Shaking her head at another concerned murmur from the youth, she clicked her way through a randomized selection of songs, the heavy beat of an all too familiar song ringing in her ears. Such loss, how can one bounce back? Even as she listened to the pulsing music, she could still feel Cloud's eyes on her. No rest for the wicked, hm?

The sound of the school bell going off made her eyes open, and she rubbed the back of her neck, glancing over to Cloud, watching the look on his face. Concern, though it wasn't blind... Could someone care for another within just moments of meeting them? She blinked once to hide the welling of tears, biting back the intense feeling to pour her feelings out, for a touch of comfort from this boy. She had built up such a high, thick wall, and yet it was broken, again. Her shoulders slumped once in defeat, and she slung the bag over her shoulder, letting one ear piece drop to hang at her side.

"What do you want?" A simple question, though there was a bit of a growl in her tone, whether she wanted it to be there or not. Her barrier was shattered, and he was to blame. Not too out of bounds for her to be defensive, was it? Cloud shifted a bit nervously before standing with her, smiling to her yet again, as if he hadn't ever seen the scars. Her face lost its menace, and she frowned, feeling guilty for being angry with him. He was being simply, human.

"Um, listen... I want to be friends with you, maybe I can show you around the town? I am with ShinRa y'know, I know a lot of places!" Izumi blinked at the name, her shoulders stiffening, rigid with the rest of her body. ShinRa... She hadn't had any experience with the people, however she had heard stories, both good and bad. Cloud's smile faded slightly as he saw her reaction, and he shook his head, stepping closer to her.

"Look, it's not what you think, ShinRa is here to help everyone! They're trying to help everyone live comfortable lives..." Izumi watched him, looking to his eyes. He seemed to notice her own unique eyes, mouth slightly ajar as he looked to them. He wasn't lying, perhaps he was right...

"Besides, maybe I could help you? I mean, one looks fresh, and..." Cloud hesitated, not wanting to offend her any more than he accidentally had. Izumi's eyes closed once, before opening to look at him, turning quickly to leave. Pausing at Cloud's hold to her arm, she looked back once, seeing the alarmed, desperate look in his eyes. If she didn't end it...

"Look. You cannot help me, SOLDIER-boy, so don't even waste your breath. Don't be another foolish hero..." The venom in her words took him by surprise, and she easily pulled her arm from his hold, leaving him standing frozen in the classroom. Adjusting the bag along her shoulders, she pursed her lips, blending in with the other students as she filed out with them through the double doors of the high school. A long walk home, it would give her time to cool down. She could never truly be mad at him, her bark far worse than her bite... Though if it pushed him away just far enough, she could get some room to breathe until she talked to him later. All she needed was some time, for right now. Maybe then, she would get the courage to explain why she did what she did, and earn one friend in this desolate world. It would be better than holding everyone away as if everyone would judge her. At least, that would not give her a chance to show them who she was.

An odd scent made her head snap up, seeing flames in the distance. She took off towards the blaze, glad that it wasn't her house, though knowing there was something really wrong...


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, this is Chapter 2 of my series, what did everyone think of the first chapter? Hope everyone is enjoying it as much as I had fun remastering it~ Please feel free to message me or leave comments below, rate and the like~

Disclaimer: Izumi belongs to me, though unfortunately none of the Final Fantasy characters do!]

Izumi ran most of the way there, covering her nose and mouth with the smell of the burning materials within the house. Pocketing her music device, she glanced around quickly, squirming her way through the growing crowd to get closer to the rescue personnel. Seeing the firefighters having a hard time putting it out, her stomach churned sharply at the words, her eyes searching where the rescuer pointed.

"A child, trapped on the second floor!" Izumi bit her lower lip, glancing to another firefighter that said something about the house becoming too unstable to enter. She felt a growl building in her throat, and she shed her backpack, sneaking under the tape before darting for the doorway. She heard shouts behind her, screaming for her to come back out where it was safe, that the ladder truck would be coming soon.

'It will be too late...' A silent thought to herself, she ducked low, eyes squinting to try and see through the dark soot and smoke that met her. With such a bright flame, she hadn't quite expected it to be so smothering and dark within the towering inferno. Coughing hard as the smoke entered her lungs, she pulled her shirt up a bit to cover her mouth, avoiding the flames as she searched the lower level for stairs. Hoping that it would be as her home was, she followed along the wall until she found them, darting up the staircase as fire surged behind her.

Stumbling a bit through a hole burned in the wooden staircase, she pulled herself forward and got to the top, the vision of hers not getting any better from the smoke. Coughing hard again, her hands passing along the walls, hoping the child had some smarts in him. If he did, the door would be- She found the closed door that she was looking for, pressing the back of her hand to the handle, relieved as it wasn't too heated. No fire in the room – that child was smart, after all.

Shoving her shoulder hard into the door, she broke through the locked way, gulping in fresh air as she closed it behind her. Coughing a bit more, she glanced around the room, finding a bed beside the little boy. Shaking her head to clear the sickness she felt from the smoke and soot. Moving over to the child and pressing a hand to his shoulder, he jarred into focus, eyes wide as he looked to her. Her eyes softened quite a bit, she could easily tell that the lad was fighting terror. He had wrapped himself up in what she assumed to be his safety blanket, huddled in the corner, as if the bed and blanket would protect him from the blaze.

"It's alright, I'm here to help... Let's get you out of here." She gave a small smile to the youth, wrapping him tighter in the blanket, covering most of him until only his eyes were showing. She wanted to at least prevent him from inhaling too much smoke as they went back- Her body jerked, and she turned around quickly, hearing a loud sound from the doorway, her heart sinking. That way was lost now...

Only two stories up, though, it couldn't be too bad to land from here, ne?

"Hey there, it'll be alright, just trust me... We have to go through the window. Just hold onto me, okay?" She glanced down, the glassy eyes widening as he took in what she was saying, whimpering a bit as he curled tighter against her chest. A sharp cough took her nearly to her knees, stars dancing before her eyes as she tasted blood on her tongue. Grimacing at the taste, she glanced down to the scared boy, smiling to him. Holding him to her, she moved over to the window, seeing the ladder truck a few blocks away.

The floor would fall away before she could even wait for it... Swallowing back some more of the blood from another nasty cough, she kicked out the window, the firemen below smart enough to have stepped back out of the way.

"M-Miss...?" Izumi glanced down, shaking her head a little, smiling slightly as she wiped a small trail of blood from her lips.

"It's Izumi... You're a smart kid, you should know not to look down when I jump." The boy paled a bit, curling into a ball in her arms, making her chuckle a little. She's landed from taller places easily, however with a child in her arms, it was a bit different... Backing, she froze as she felt the floor wobble beneath her, adrenaline coursing through her body. Launching forward, she felt the rush of flames against her back before she leaped out the window, thankfully to a bare patch of ground where there were no people.

Tucking herself quickly, she wrapped herself around the child, rolling a couple times to absorb the impact of her body hitting the ground. She stood slowly, swaying with the smoke inhalation, though managed to open her burning eyes enough to find that there were firefighters running to her, first responders flanking them. Reluctant in giving the child over, she did so, watching as he was carried quickly to an ambulance.

Even more to her annoyance, she was guided to an ambulance herself, nearly knocking one of the first responders out for advancing on her with a mask. Managing to keep herself in control, she allowed the male to put the mask over her head and set the strap at the back, pumping pure oxygen into her lungs. Izumi sagged in relaxation against the back of the ambulance, grateful that the oxygen eased her lungs and throat, both of which were burning fiercely. The individual questioned her about the blood, though she insisted all was fine, filling out some paperwork that ensured they would not be held accountable if she suffered damage and refused to go to the hospital.

Letting herself relax against the truck for a moment, the sound of running feet caught her attention, and she opened her resting eyes, tugging off the mask and handing it back to the paramedic with a thank you. Her eyes slipping back to the child running towards her, and that beaming smile, she couldn't help but smile in turn as well, catching him with a soft laugh once he launched himself into her arms.

"You's okay, Izumi! I'm so happy, you really had me worried... Oh! My name's Chento by the way~" His grin broadened, and Izumi chuckled softly, squeezing him in a gentle but firm hug. He was worried about her... How precious.

"Thank you Chento, for worrying about me, but I am doing just fine now, my breathing was just acting up a little..." She smiled reassuringly to him, though her eyes darted past him, seeing the appearance of four walking towards them from a cooling down helicopter, in which she hadn't even noticed that it had touched down in the first place. Her eyes scanned the chopper, and she held Chento closer to her in caution, her eyes locked on the symbol before falling to the quad moving towards them, her nerves on edge.

What was ShinRa doing here...?


	3. Chapter 3

[Hello there again, how is everyone? I hope that my typing isn't too long, I tend to enjoy the details most in the stories I write. Whenever I do have time to write, I try to not make it too simple, as I once had. Hoping everyone is liking it so far, feel free to message or post comments below. Loves to my readers! 3

Disclaimer: Izumi and Chento belong to me, though none of the other Final Fantasy characters do~ ...sadly...]

Izumi kept a cautious eye on the approaching group, easily able to tell the larger male in the center, having far more importance than those around him. A white suit it seemed, flawless and though a bit rotund, carrying grandness in every stride. The three that flanked him, though staying in alignment, seemed to be scanning the area absently, a protectiveness that she hadn't seen before in this land, besides close friends or family members. Then a thought hit her, and she audibly groaned.

Could this be the shielded President himself?

A fifth person leaped from the helicopter, landing swiftly and running to catch up with the four, huffing something about an inane excuse of getting his headset stuck to the joystick. Izumi blinked blankly at the redhead that voiced that excuse, the appearance and attitude seeming to be rather familiar to her. A look back from a short-haired female silencing him, a soft sigh as she lowered her blonde head, shaking it in annoyance. The slight sound of a grunt came from another, seen to be bald and wearing rather sharp-looking shades, made the red-headed man whine pitifully.

Izumi noticed the suits they all wore, and she was standing instantly from the back of the ambulance, one hand on young Chento's shoulder. She had heard of the Turks before, though hadn't quite seen them herself. It seemed that they were the personal guardians of the President, wore the same suits, and all held an air of authority and purpose. What kind of trouble had she gotten herself into...?

"You there. Name." The sharp tone of the one trailing behind as the redhead joined the blonde and bald-headed one spoke up, sharp Mako eyes narrowed in the demand of the request. Long, silver hair, such a penetrating gaze that any would have to give in to it...

"Now, now, no need to be rude, Sephiroth." The man in white spoke up, letting off an easy chuckle, the far taller male nodding once and quietening, Izumi's defenses lowered instantly by the comment. The loosened hold on Chento's shoulder made the child grin in utter happiness, darting towards the red-haired male.

"Reno!" Reno blinked once, a sudden grin on his face as he lowered, letting the child run up and lifted him into the air, letting him hug around his neck. Sephiroth glanced to the child and Reno, muttering something under his breath before shaking his head and walking on ahead, falling to the President's right side.

"Reno won't hurt the child, no need to worry." A bit of a softer remark from the silver-haired male, his cattish eyes glancing to Izumi, who hadn't quite realized that she was moving towards Reno, instincts on the fritz around this Sephiroth person. Swallowing hard, she lowered her head and stood still, before forcing herself to raise her head, looking up to he and the President standing mere feet away.

"Izumi Ayumu... That is my name. Can I help you with anything?" She frowned slightly and the President stepped forward, Sephiroth stepping to the side and allowing him to advance to move in front of Izumi. ShinRa smiled a little, nodding his head and looking to the still-burning house, the firefighters working quicker to try and extinguish the flames with his presence there.

"Just a simple question. Why would you risk your life, when even those of experience would not leap into action?" His eyes glanced back to hers, and she blinked at him, eyes flickering over his shoulder to watch Reno ruffling Chento's hair, talking rather animatedly with he and the other two, flailing his arms in the air here and there, falling over dramatically as the youth playfully punched his chest. A little smile twitched her lips, and she looked to him, fingers brushing against the underside of her left wrist.

"All life is precious, no matter how low, or high... Especially for someone that is unable to protect themselves. I'd go in there again, if there was another trapped." His eyes locked with her dual-toned ones, and the President chuckled once, nodding and glancing over to Sephiroth, motioning for him to follow. Puzzled, Izumi watched the two leave to talk out of earshot, Reno walking up, hand in hand with young Chento.

"Hey! Thanks for saving this kid, he means a lot to us all, yo!" Such a lighthearted tone and energy to the male, she couldn't help but smile a bit easier, her shoulders lowering a fraction. Nodding in response to his thanks, she ruffled the child's hair again, earning a pout from the already bed-headed individual.

"My pleasure... He's not too bad. Had enough smarts to close the door when the fire started." She smiled at the confused looks from Reno and Elena, though the bald-headed male shifted, a small laugh escaping.

"By the look of it, no soot on him, fresher air in the room? You notice a lot for the situation." Reno stared at the other as he spoke a moment, still having the dumbfounded look on his face. Izumi had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing; such a look on the male's face!

"Though just as well, second story up and landing so effortlessly; you have had training." Drat. Izumi forced her smile to stay, though her pulse increased, a nervous glance off to the side. She felt like this was a test in itself, and if she didn't answer truthfully...

"I have... I had a Martial, and Sword Arts teachers once upon a time. They taught me a few things, like that..." She mumbled, looking back to the man, a curt nod from him, before he fell silent again. Reno voiced something that made her blink, staring at him as he had just done to his companion, not understanding.

"I said, you should join SOLDIER!" Reno made a pouting face, thinking before grinning, mentioning something about joining the Turks instead. Earning a solid thump from the butt of her gun that was out in an instant, Reno cowered away from a glaring Elena, who turned to look back to Izumi, her eyes softening past their usual hardness.

"The choice is yours, but we could use someone of your skill. You have potential, at the very least." Izumi weighed the words, the meanings behind them. She was being offered a job, officially. And a job that many would look upon as being a cowardly job, something of a war pawn, and others that would think to her as part of a shield to protect their citizens from Avalanche and other threats. Her lips pursed in thought, and she jumped, spinning around Chento; startled as another tapped her shoulder, the President blinking once before putting on a warm smile.

"Have you met my Turks? Elena, Rude, and Reno. Three of my trusted guardians. And of course, Sephiroth behind me... Reno has already asked you, but I would like to second the request. We could use your abilities, and help to defend against the evils in Gaia around us." Sephiroth crossed his arms, his eyes never leaving hers, watching the reaction closely of the young woman in front of him. She swallowed a bit, clearing her throat, trying to make up her decision. Her reaction before was still true in her mind, that she didn't believe that they would be simply making other people's lives easier, with no alternative means... Though, what business wasn't like that? And they did seem to be making everyone's lives easier.

"You would be offered a good pay, benefits and weaponry that you would require, and be faced with strong opponents. Everything would be paid for. It's not a bad offer, for those that enjoy a bit of danger in their life." Her eyes raised to Sephiroth's as he spoke, a slight shiver slipping through her at the idea. She had no one in this world worth living for really, lived by herself besides her animals and every now and then friends, paid her own tuition, scraped together money somehow for food... She was desperately hurting for something that could take care of everything for her. Though, she wondered what the restrictions would be. Her life had one meaning now, and to attain the desired result, she had to become stronger, something that would be difficult with her current living state. Truthfully, there was only one choice left open to her.

"I..."


End file.
